Propeller.



A. HoLMsTRM.

, y PROPBLLBB.

l APPLIOATION FILED 11110.11, 1909. v 1,025,399, Patented May 7, 1912.

- w '1 snBBTs--SHBBT 1.

@mma

A. HQLMSTRM.

PROPELLEB.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 11, 1909.

1,025,399. Patented May '7, 1912.

, V 7 HHGET-SHBBT 2.

n y MM/www i A. HOLMSTRM.

PROPELLER.

LPPLIOATIoN FILED DEO. 11, 1909.

1,025,399. Patented. May "7, 1912.

7 SEBBTB-SHBET 8.

A. HOLMSTRM.

PROPELLER.

l APPLICATION FILED 1520.11, l1969J Patented May 7, 191.2

| i i l Www v l @mma-L A. HOLMSTRM.-

PROPELLER. APPLIOATION Hmm 15150.11, 1909.

Patented May 7, 1912.

, 'I SHEETS-SHEET B.

w32/f ma@ A. HOLM'STRM.

PROPELLBR. rAPPLIA'IION FILED 1120.11, 1909.

1,025,399. Patented May '7, 1912.

. SHEETS-'SHEET 1.

AXEL HoLMsrni/I, or rams, rn. iin.

IPROPELLER.

pplicationed December 11, 1909. Serial No. 532,581.

I To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, AXEL 'HoLMs'rnivn citizen of the Kin dom pf Sweden, residing at Paris, France, ave'invented certain new and 'usefullmprovements in Propellers, of which the following'is a specification.

This invention relates to a propeller (termed polyor bicentrifugal wheel) which isintended as a substitute for the well known screws and wheels driven by watenair or gas and to efect considerable economy in comparison therewith,- particularly in regard to power.

They essential feature consists in the special construction vof the propeller vanes or blades, whichare composed of ,rigid parts and a flexible part, the flexible part being arranged in sucha manner and so varied in its form by the rigid parts, that the flexible part alone serves for overcoming the resistance of the or water and that only when `it is in the .worin ing position, while when in the i'ieutralpo-lv Isit-ionits form is altered by the rigid v part-s in such amannerthat on the one hand,`l` it performs no worlz,V and, on the other hand` y offers only the slightest/resistance toairor water. f

Propeller bladesbf this kind can heemployed accordingA to the purpose in view either singly or in groups so as to .form

wheel like de -ices and the efciency of the vwhole propeller thus brought tothe highest pitch,which is unattainable with the existing propeller screws or wheels. The aci Y tioii of Jthe propeller blade or vane approximates to the dying and soaring of birds, the effect vbeing that of simultaneous forward and upward movement. l-lowevcr iny consequence of .the above mentioned automat-ic alteration in the form of the blades the great frictional resistances, which are prof duced in connection with the .known screws and wheels Adriven by air and water, especially when the speed is great are avoided.

vWhen the propeller is' employed for air ships and the like, it is possible, in conse- Aquence of the simultaneous forward,l ard upward effect of the same, to dispense w1..h

the hitherto necessary special sliding ,and supporting surfaces, subject to suitable dimensions and suflicient motive power, so that the particular machine can effect a flying movement, in the fullest sense of theterm. i

The propeller can be constructed in a.v

Specification of Letters Patent.

of this .propeller PatentedMay 7, 1912.

very large number of different forms, so that the accompanying drawings,I which diagrammatically, illustrate a few examples, give only an approximate .idea of the many vforms in which the propeller'can be constructed. i f g' Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the arrangement of lfour'blades .or vanes, which are driven b-y the sameshaft. Fig-2 isa side elevation of Fig. 1.- Fig. 3 is a front elevation l of the arrangement Iof -vanes,`-which. are coupled Vwith one another and arranged -on the same shaft by means of a 'double'linln Figs. l and 5 illustrate-in side elevation-a number of, varies connected with Vone another by a. chain gear, and simultaneously actuated. Fig. 6 lrepresents a similar ar rangement of which Fig. 7 is a front elevat-ion;4 Fig.' 8 shows the arrangementof the vanes, which insures a forward and a backward impulsion as wellas an ascending and descending motion. Figs 9 to l2 are respectively front and side elevations of another. form ofthe devices for supporting as well as for opening and ,closingfthe varies. Figs. 13 'and 14 arerespectively front and side elevations ofthe vanes as an vair pro peller in combination witlra highy 's'pfiedv boat. y 4- Y l In this invention one jor a plurality, of propeller blades is mounted upon an, actuating mechanism, and each blade or, i/'ane consists of a collapsible or movable Vframe upon which is mountedV a flexibleweb which is adapted to be folded as the frame. isautomaticallycollapsed or moved bythe actuating mechanism. The flexible vweb maybe.

`formed of any suitable material,` such` as cloth, canvas, leather, sheet metal or similar webbings. The automatic actipn of .the venes-is so timed that vthey aref' effectively unfolded only when in positionA tov oppose the resistance of the medium in which the vehicle is propelled, und are folded' orucollapsed when they-are in' return' motion or during the periods when they are ineffective, so that their opposing resistance may be rendered at a minimum. f f

In the form of thel invention shown in Fig. 3 the construction of the vanes'; and

the vane arms shows one 'embodiment of my invention. The material '10 composing the vanes is furnished with'framing or stiii'ening 11 of any preferred kind', in which the arms 9 are pivotally mounted. Moreover each twoadjacently situated vanes are con- Ill hsuitable source of power. moreover are seated one or more` ain wheels. 20 firmly connected with the'bearin'g bushesl guided supports 9, 1n consequence of their.

being inclined and b means of the connections 12 between t e oppositely situated vanes whichlikewisealways remain equal.-

The upper part of Fig. 3 shows -the vanes closed, the lower part of the same shows them opened. In-other respects the action in this form 'of the'in'vent-ion is precisely thesame as in the form shownin Figs. 1 and'2. A l, y

Figs. 4 to 7 illustrate forms ofthe invention, in which a number of vanes arranged on a chain or on one or more chain wheels are uniformly actuated and suitably opened and closed. In the form shown in Figs. 4

land 5 the' vanes are suspended'so that for example, when employed as water propellers they dip into and come'out of the water without splashing. For this purpose the vanes 1 are pivotally suspended on the axles 16 of chain wheels 17 a suitable number of which are seated in one and the same rotary frame 18. This frame is suitably rotated by the shaft 19 that is driven by any 0n this shaft and so connected by chain'wheel gear with the lwheels 17 that all the paddles are rotated simultaneously always parallel to one another, and opened and closed in the prescribed manner. vThe wheels 20, moreover,

cooperate with wheels 21, vso as to keep the chains securely in engagement with the axial bearing chain wheels 20. g F'gs. 6 and 7 illustrate anotherform of l the chain gear in which tlie'vanes are fixed 'directly on the chains 23, whichv are carried oyer two or more chain wheels 24.1 y'ilhe opening and closing of the vanes is effedted as will be seen from Fig. 7 by suitably'Li-nclined arrangement of the chain wheels and 'ine the same manner as in the form previously described.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 8 enables the vanes to be 'reversely arranged asdesired, for the purpose of effecting a forward, backward, ascending or descending motion. In this case again bevel wheels 25 or theli-ke are employed which are inclined in relation to one another and can be actuated together by a suit-able .4 gear 26. By of reversing gear .27, theshaft 28 'o 'zoiinerlioii .with the Whole' of 1 .nassen the bevel wheels, can be rotated as desired so tl''t'the vanes yare suitably opened and closedii'i opposite/'positions as indicatedby dotted lines in the drawing. Accordingly -asl the shaft or similar devices are rotated they can be used for producing a forward or backward movement, as well as an ascending or descending movement.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate a foruifof the invention in which the vanes can'be suitably opened or closed by the driving shaft. through the medium of a lever or rod connection gear. The wing like vanes are fixed to frames 30 or the like seated on two axial sleeves 29 and are actuated from a ysuitable source of power through-themedium of a suitable gear 3l while the shaft 32 remains stationary. The vanes are connected with the shaft 32 by levers 33, 34, so that when the vanes are rotated, the effective point of the connection with shaft 32 on the vanes is corrospondingly displaced, whereb the vanes are correspondingly opene .and closed. The lever arran ement can also be replaced by suitable cran r or other arrangement.-

Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate a similar form to Figs. 9 and`10 which only differs as regards the vanes. The -vanes 35 are flexibly arranged at 36 on the frame parts 37 and are connected with a cranked shaft 40 by rods 39 flexibly connected with them at 38. This shaft runs through the frames 37 and is seated in bushings 42 and driven b the pulley 41. When the shaft is rotate the movable vane parts 35 are correspondingly moved outward and inward. These parts may be fiexible or rigid. The cranking of the shaft may likewise be replaced by a suitable eccentric orl crank arrangement.-

Finally Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate the emshaft 44, whereby the unfolding and fold in of the vanes during their rotation is suitably effected.

What I claim and desire to secure by Lety ters Patent is:

l. A propeller, comprising in combination',a plurality of continuous flexible supporting means actuated -in lanes disposed at an angle, arms carried y said flexible supporting means to spread or lie together as the latter' are moved in their respective planes, and webbing -foldable bctweensaid 2. A propeller, comprising in combination, a plurality of continuous liexible sup-v 'portmg means actuated in planes disposed at an angle, arms carried by said flexible supporting means to spread' or lie .together as the latter are moved in their respective planes, webbing foldably stretched between said arms and iexible driving means operatively connected to both of'said supporting means.y

In testimony whereof I alx my signature 'in presence of two Witnesses. v

AXEL HOLMSTROM.

Witnesses ERNEST ENTENMANN, FRIDA KLAIBER. 

